Two girls, ages three and five, died after their boat capsized on a Texas lake, trapping them underneath.
Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse says a boat carrying 12 people flipped over on Cedar Creek Lake Sunday night, according to KLTV.
“The boat had lost power. “It was overloaded and capsized,” Hillhouse explained.
According to the sheriff, the adults on the boat jumped into the water and managed to swim to shore, but two girls, ages 3 and 5, died.
“They had life vests on, but they actually got caught under the boat when it was sinking and couldn’t get out,” Hillhouse told me.
The incident occurred around 8 p.m. Emergency personnel arrived on the scene at 9:30 p.m. after receiving the call.
“Our call log goes up on Cedar Creek Lake,” Hillhouse said. “There’s lots of rental properties that people use to come for vacation; there’s lots of people that have lake houses and lakefront property to get away and come down here.”
Justice of the Peace Part 2 Jamie Fawns stated that alcohol was not a factor in the boat’s capsize. He ordered complete autopsies on the girls.
Hillhouse says that while Texas Game Wardens lead the investigation, boaters should continue to monitor their boat’s safety.
“The Cedar Creek Lake can get extremely rough,” Hillhouse said. “Watch the weather and the waves. When the water becomes choppy, it is best to get out. “Bad things can happen.”
Reference: 2 young girls, ages 3 and 5, drown after getting trapped as boat sinks in lake